Adjustable seat structure



June 28,l 1949. A. oRENz' 2,474,264

ADJUSTABLE SEAT STRUCTURE ATTORNEY June 28, 1949. ,A. LORENZ 2,474,264

l ADJUSTABLE SEAT STRUCTURE Filed 001'.. 27. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR NTUN o/EA/Z ATTORNEY Patented June 28, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE SEAT STRUCTURE Anton Lorenz, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application October 27, 1944, Serial No. 560,553

11 Claims. l

My invention relates to articles of furniture, and more particularly to an article of furniture, wherein a structure including a seat, a backrest and means connecting said back-rest with said seat is swinga-bly mounted on a support and controlling means are arranged for controlling the movements of a leg-rest pivoted to the seat, during a movement of the structure from one position into another one.

An object of my invention. is to provide an article of furniture of above described type, wherein the controlling means acting on the legrest may cause a change in the angle between the leg-rest and the seat when the seat of the structure is moved from its sitting position into a rearwardly inclined position.

Another object of my invention is to provide an article of furniture of above described type, wherein the angle between the leg-rest and the seat may be increased to such a degree, that the leg-rest is brought into alignment with the seat when the latter is in its extreme rearwardly inclined position.

A further object of my invention is to provide an adjustable chaise-longue, wherein the seat, back-rest and lege-rest are movable relative to each other.

A further object of my invention is to improve upon the art of reclining articles of furniture as now ordinarily made.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as disclosed hereinafter, certain embodiments of the same being described in the specification and being illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. v1 is a side elevational View of an embodiment of a convertible chaise-longue according to the invention, some parts being brokenaway,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the chaiselongue shown in Fig. l, wherein, however, the movable members are in a different position, some parts being broken away,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a chaise-longue according to the invention some parts being broken away, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of still another embodiment of a chaise-longue according to the invention, some parts being broken away. g

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 2IIl generally indicates the support of an article of furniture known in the trade as a chaise-longue. 2I2 generally indicates a back-rest and 2I,4 indicates a seat. Said back-rest 2 I2 and the rear end of said seat 2 I2 are pivotally connected with each other and the support 2 I 0 at` 2 I6. A pair of connecting links 2I8 and 220 is arranged on each side of the chaise-longue or lounget. The connecting link 2I8, hereinafter called a top connecting link, forms an arm-rest and is pivotally connected at 222 with the connecting link 220, hereinafter called a front connecting link. The rear end of each top connecting link 2I8 is pivoted at 224 to an intermediate point of.. the back-rest 2I2 above the seat 2 I4. The lower end of each front connecting link 220 is pivotedto the front portion of the seat 2I4 at 226. A guiding means or guiding link 23D ispivoted with one end to the support at 232 and with the other end to the front connecting link 22,0 at 254. Thus, the article comprises a constrained complex linkage having live movable links 2I2, ZIB, 220, 2I4, 230 and one stationary link formed by the portion of the support between the pivots 2I6 and 232.

The sitting position of the seat 2I4 and the movable members connected therewith may be limited by a stop 262 mounted on the support 2 I 0.

A leg-rest 236 is pivotally connected with the front end of the seat 2 I4 at 238. The movements of said leg-rest 236 are controlled by a rod-like controlling link 24U, one end of which is pivotally mounted on the support 2I0 at 232. The other end of said controlling link carries controlling means in the shape of a rotatable roller 256 loosely engaging the surface of the leg-rest 236 to effect movements .of the latter in coordination with said controlling link. Instead of the roller shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the end vof the controlling link 240 could be provided with a vcam or could be in direct contact with the surface of the legrest 236 for sliding along the surface of the legrest. The controlling link 240 is guided by a bar-like guiding .member 258, one end of which is pivoted to the seat at 238, the other end of which is pivoted to the controlling link` 240 at 260.

When the seat 2 Iltis swung into a reclined position, for example intothe extreme reclined p osition shown in dash and dot lines in Fig. 1, by moving the back-rest 2I2 about its pivot 2I6, the controlling link 24D is swung about its pivot 232 by means of the guiding member 258 pivotally connected with the seat. Such a swinging movement of the controlling link 240 causes an increase of the angle between the leg-rest 2136 and the seat 2I4 from the sitting position to the reclined position. During said swinging movement of the controlling link 240, theroller 2,56.. rolls along the surface of the leg-rest 236. According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the leg-rest 236 is in alignment with the seat 214, when the latter is in its extreme reclined position. The movable members of the article may be held in any desired position by means of a locking device 252 arranged on the pivot 222 between the top connecting link 218 and the front connecting link 220.

At least one of the pivotal connections of the complex linkage of the article shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is disengageable. According to the embodiment shown in said figures, for example, the pivotal connection 22:11 between the back-rest 212 and the top connecting link 218 and the pivotal connection 251i between the front connecting link 221i and the guiding link 238 may be disengaged. Upon such a disengagement, the seat 218 is held in the substantially horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 by a holding member or stop 262 mounted on the support 218, and the guiding link 2311 and pair of connecting links 213, 228 may drop into the position shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the back-rest 212 may be swung into a substantially horizontal position, substantially in alignment with the seat 214, which is limited by another holding member 284, mounted on the support for cooperation with the back-rest. in addition to above described disengagement, the pivotal connection 268 between the guiding member 258 and the controlling link 2&8 may be disengaged, whereupon the -controlling link 2158 may be lifted for a lifting of the leg-rest 23B into a substantially horizontal position in alignment with the seat 21d, until the bore 258 (see Fig. 2) of the controlling link 2458 registers with a bore 268 (see Fig. l) arranged on the support 218. When said bores 285 and 288 are in register with each other, a pin 2'18 (see Fig. 2) may be inserted into said bores, so that the controlling link 241) and the leg-rest 236 are held in the position shown in Fig. 2. If the members 212, 214, 238 are in the position shown in Fig. 2, they are substantially in alignment with each other, so that the article is converted into a bed-like or couchlike furniture.

When the article shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is converted into a bed-like furniture, the leg-rest 236 may be held in the horizontal position by another holding arrangement than that described above. For example, the bore 288 could be arranged in the guiding member 258 at the proper place, so that, upon an insertion of the pin 2'18 into the registering bores 268, 228, the leg-rest 236 is held in its position by the guiding member 258 connected with the controlling link 2418.

Furthermore, the article shown in Figs. l and 2 is equipped with means for varying and adjusting the effective length of the controlling link 240. For this purpose, the controlling link 2411 is in the shape of a telescopic rod comprising the members 241, 243 slidably engaged with each other and held in an adjusted relative position by a set screw 2135, and the vsupport 218 as Well as the guiding member 253 are provided with a series of holes 261. If, for example, the telescopic controlling link 241) is shortened, the angle between the leg-rest and the seat is reduced in the sitting position, and the leg-rest comes into alignment with the seat only when the seat is at a greater angle to the horizontal plane than that shown in Fig. 1 for the reclined position. On the other hand, if the telescopic controlling link 24S is lengthened, the angle between the leg-rest and the seat is increased in the sitting position, and the leg-rest cornes into alignment with the seat when the seat is at a smaller angle to the horizontal plane than that shown in Fig. l for the reclined position. Similar results may be obtained by selecting different holes 261 for the pivotal connections oi the telescopic controlling link 288 without a change in the length of the telescopic controlling link 2li@ or in combination with such a change in the length.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the back-rest 412 and the seat dit form an integral member generally indicated by dit; therefore, the back-rest 412 is rigidly connected with the seat 4111. The member or structure ili is swingably mounted on the support M8 at 815. The leg-rest 43B pivotally mounted on the seat 114 at 338 is controlled by the following controlling mechanism: One end of a controlling link MD is pivotally mounted on the support at litt; the other end of said controlling link Mil is connected with the leg-rest 836 by means of a controlling member 472, one end of which is pivoted to the controlling link 448 at 41'11, the other end of which is pivoted to the leg-rest 438 at 1HE. The controlling link 84D is guided by a guiding member 58, one end of which is pivoted to the controlling link at 460, the other end oi which is pivoted to the seat 414 at M8. Apparently, the controlling member or controlling means i172 positioned between the controlling link Mil and the leg-rest serves to effect movement of the leg-rest in coordination with said controlling link.

The sitting position of the movable members of the article is limited by a stop 448 arranged on the support 1111i for cooperation with the seat 814. The extreme reclined position of the movable members of the lounget is limited by a stop 515D, arranged on the support 611i for cooperation with the back-rest 412.

When the member 4'10 comprising the backrest and the seat is swung into a reclined position, the angle between the leg-rest A36 and the seat H4 is increased by means of the action of the controlling link M1), which is lifted by the guiding member 1558 and controls the leg-rest 43e through the medium of the controlling member M2. Fig. 3 illustrates an intermediate reclined position and does not show the extreme reclined position.

According to Fig. 3, a stop 438 is arranged at the end of the controlling link 440. This stop Sil comes in engagement with the controlling member M2, as soon as, during a movement of the movable members of the article from the sitting position into a reclined position, the controlling member 312 comes into alignment with the controlling link 488, so as to prevent the controlling member from a further rotation about the pivot .114 relative to the controlling link.

The controlling mechanism 5M), 558, 522 of the leg-rest 535 of the chaise-longue shown in Fig. 4 substantially corresponds to the controlling mechanism of the leg-rest shown in Fig. 3. However, according to Fig. ll, said controlling mechanism is used in combination with a chaiselongue having a constrained complex linkage. According to Fig. 4 a back-rest 512 and the rear end of a seat 514 are pivotally connected with each other and the support 5113 at 516. The backrest 512 has a lower extension 582. Said extension 582 rigidly connected with the back-rest 512 projects downwardly beyond the pivotal connection 516 between the back-rest and the support. A pair of connecting links 518, 520 pivotallyconnected with each other as 522 is arranged below theseat. The rear end of the connecting link 5|8Ldesignated hereinafter as a lower conneetinglink` is pivoted to the extension 552 at. 524; the upper end oi the connecting link 525 hereinafter called the iront connecting link is pivotally connected with a lug on the seat 514 at-'526a The movements of the back-rest 512 with its extension 582', the lower connecting link 5|8, the front connecting link 525 and the seat 5I4 are controlled-by a guiding link 53B; one end of said guiding linkis pivoted to the pivotal connection 522 between the lower connecting link 5 I 8 and front connecting link 520, the other end oi said guidingV link is pivotally connected to thev support 5li` at 532. Thus, the article comprises a` constrained complex linkage having five movable links 5M, 552, EIB, 525, 530 and one stationary link formed by the portion of the support 5H) between the pivots 516 and 532.

The leg-rest 535 is pivoted to the seat 5M at 538-; and the controlling link 545 is pivoted to the support 510 at 545.

When-the back-rest 5| 2 is swung about the pivot 5|5, the movable members of the constrainedcornplex linkage are brought from the sitting-position shown in full lines into a reclined position, for example into the extreme reclined position shown in dash and dot lines. The seat 514v forming a part of said constrained complex linkage is swung about the pivot 5i5 and causes a swinging of the controlling link 54o about the pivot 546 through the medium of the guiding member 558 pivoted at its ends to the seat 5M andthe controlling link 541) respectively. Such a swinging of the controlling link 545 causes a change in the angle between the leg-rest 535 and-the seat 514 through the medium of the controlling member 512.

The sitting position of the movable members of the article is limited by a stop 548 mounted on the support 5M! for cooperation with the lower extension 532 of the back-rest 512. The extreme reclined-position of said movable members may be limitedi by a stop 550 swingably mounted on a transverse rod 554 of the support 540, when the stop is in the position shown in Fig. 4 for cooperationwith the back-rest 5|2.

Fig. 4 illustrates means for varying and adjusting the eiective length of the controlling member 512. For this purpose, the controlling member 512 is composed of two telescopically arranged" members 584 and 585, which may be adjusted' in any desired position relative to each otherby means of a set screw 588. Furthermore, the leg-rest 53S and the controlling link 540 are provided with series-of holes 598 which may be used for selective pivotal connections of the telescopic'controlling member 512 with the leg-rest and the controlling link respectively. As will be readily understood, this arrangement enables the user of the chair to adjust the angle between the leg-rest and the seat to any desired degree. When the telescopic controlling member 512 is of' the adjusted length shown in Fig. 4 and when the ends of said telescopic controlling member are pivoted to the points of the leg-rest 535 and the-controlling link 545 as shown in said Fig. 4, theangle between the leg-rest and the seat will beincreased'` during a movement of the movable members oi the lounget from the sitting position into a reclined position, and the leg-rest will be in-alignment with the seat when the latter is in itseXtreme-reclnedposition. When, for. example,

the length of' the controlling, 1ne1nberr5-12V rf mainsl unchanged, when the-upper endgthereof, however, is pivoted to the last hole on theright hand side of the series of holes 5950i the-leg-rest 535, the angle between the leg-rest and the seat will be decreasedV during such a movement of1 the. movable members, and the leg-rest will be ina substantially horizontal position when the seat isin its extreme position.

In view of the variable arrangement ofv the; telescopic controlling member 512 in the-system, the stopping means for limiting the rotation of the controlling member 512 about its pivot 5.14 is likewise adjustable. According to Fig. 4, the; enlarged end 592 of the controlling link 54|) is: provided with a slot 594. One end of a pin or` stop havinga shoulder (not shown) resting on the surface of said enlarged end 552 of the; controlling link Mois adjustably inserted into said slot 554 and projects therefrom; the pin.596;

may be held in an adjusted position by means of a nut 558 or the like screwed on saidvprojecting; end of the pin 556. The other end of said pinr or stop projects from said slot at a right angle to the enlarged end 592 of the controlling linkV 545, so that it may engage the telescopic con trolling member 512 in its extreme position asshown in dash and dot lines. According to the. showing of Fig. 4, the pin 595is held in the up permost corner of the slot 554 by means of the nut 598. If, however, the controlling member- 512 is pivoted to another point of the leg-rest, for example to the last hole on the right hand side or" the series of holes of the leg-rest as described above, the pin 595 is brought into a lower position in the slot 554 and is held therein by the.v nut 558, so that it may properly engage the controlling member 512 in the extreme position thereof.

The article shown in Fig. 4 may be convertedA into a bed-like or couch-like furniture by dis-- engagement of at least one of the pivotal connections 522, 524, 525 of the constrained com-- plex linkage and by swinging the stop 55llout of the path of the back-rest 5i2. After such a dis-- engagement of one or more pivotal connections,l the seat 5lfl is held in a horizontal position by means of a stop 552 arranged on the support 5H), and the back-rest 5i2 may be swung into ahorizontal position limited by the transverse rod 564.l Furthermore, the telescopic controlling link- 586 may be lengthened, so that it holds the leg-rest 556 in alignment with the seat 5|4 in a horizontal position.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

For example, the controlling mechanism of theA leg-rest shown in one of the iigures may beused in combination with a seat structure shownK in any other iigure of the drawings or with any other seat structure comprising a swingable seat.

Furthermore, while the controlling mechanism controlling the movements of the constrained complex linkage shown in the drawings comprises a guiding link, the present invention may also bev applied to articles of furniture wherein the controlling mechanism controlling the movements ofthe constrained complex linkage includes diierent controlling means operatively connectedwith the support and a movable member'of: the-linkage.

Moreover, instead of a telescopic controlling, memberror telescopidcontrollinsrlink Aotheranieans may be used for changing the effective length of the controlling link or controlling arm respectively.

Moreover, any other suitable type of locking means for locking the movable members of the article in a desired position may be used instead of the locking device shown in the drawings.

The drawings show the invention only in the way of certain examples; the invention may be applied to various other types of articles of furniture as well.

What I claim is:

l. A reclining article of furniture comprising: a support, a structure including a seat, a backrest and means connecting said back-rest with saidseat for controlling movements of the backrest and the seat in dependence on each other, said structure being swingably mounted on said support, stopping means arranged on said support for limiting the sitting position of said structure, a leg-rest pivotally connected with the front portion of said seat, a controlling link pivoted to said support at one of its ends, a guiding member, one end ci said guiding member being pivoted to said seat, the other end of said guiding member being pivoted to an intermediate point of said controlling link, and controlling means positioned between the other end of said controlling link and said leg-rest to effect movement of the leg-rest in coordination with said controlling link whereby movements of said leg-rest are controlled in dependence on movements of said seat.

2. In a reclining article of furniture as claimed in claim l, means whereby the eiective length of the controlling link may be varied and adjusted.

3. A reclining article of furniture comprising: a support, a structure including a seat, a backrest and means connecting said back-rest with said 'seat for controlling movements of the backrest and the seat in dependence on each other, said structure being swingably mounted on said support, stopping means arranged on said support for limiting the sitting position of said structure, a leg-rest pivotally connected with the front portion of said seat, a controlling link pivoted to said support at one of its ends, a guiding member, one end of said guiding member being pivoted to said seat, the other end of said guiding member being pivoted to an intermediate point of said controlling link, and a controlling member, one end of said controlling member being pivoted to the other end of said controlling link, and the other end of said controlling member being pivoted to said leg-rest.

4. In a reclining article of furniture as claimed in lclaim 3, a stop mounted on said controlling link for abutting cooperation with said controlling member so as to limit the extreme position thereof.

5. In a reclining article of furniture as claimed in claim 3, means whereby the effective length of said controlling member may be varied and adjusted.

6. A reclining article of furniture comprising in combination: a support, a constrained complex linkage having a plurality of movable links and at least one stationary link, at least a portion of said support being included in said constrained complex linkage as said stationary link, said movable links including a seat, a back-rest and a plurality of connecting links, said connecting links being connected to each other, to said seat and to said back-rest, means pivotally connecting said seat and said back-rest to said support, guiding means connected -to said support and engaged with at least one of said connecting links, stopping means arranged on said support for limiting the sitting position of said seat, a leg-rest pivotally connected with the front portion of said seat, a controlling link pivoted to said support at one of its ends, a guiding member, one end oi said guiding member being pivoted to said seat, the other end of said guiding member being pivoted to an intermediate point of said controlling link, and controlling means positioned between the other end of said controlling link and said leg-rest to effect movement of the leg-rest in coordination with said controlling link whereby movements of said leg-rest are controlled in dependence on movements of said seat.

7. A reclining article of furniture comprising in combination: a support, a constrained complex linkage having a plurality of movable links and at least one stationary link, at least a portion oi said support being included in said constrained complex linkage as said stationary link, said movable links including a seat, a back-rest and a plurality of connecting links, said connecting links being connected to each other, to said seat and to said back-rest, means pivotally connecting said seat and said back-rest to said support, guiding means connected to said support and engaged with at least one of said connecting links, stopping means arranged on said support for limiting the sitting position ci said seat, a leg-rest pivotally connected with the front portion of said seat, a controlling link pivoted to said support at one ci its ends, a guiding member, one end of said guiding member being pivoted to said seat, the other end of said guiding member being pivoted to an intermediate point of said controlling link, and a controlling member, one end of said controlling member being pivoted to the other end oi said controlling link, and the other end of said controlling member being pivoted to said leg-rest.

8. A reclining article of furniture comprising: a support, a structure including a seat, a backrest and means connecting said back-rest with said seat for controlling movements of the backrest and the seat in dependence on each other, said structure being swingably mounted on said support, stopping means arranged on said support for limiting the sitting position of said structure, a leg-rest pivotally connected with the front portion of said seat, a controlling link pivoted to said support at one of its ends, and a guiding member, one end of said guiding member being pivoted to said seat, the other end of said guiding iember being pivoted to an intermediate point of said controlling link, and the other end of said controlling link being in shiftable engagement with said leg-rest whereby movements of said leg-rest are controlled in dependence on movements of said seat.

9. A reclining article oi furniture comprising in combination: a support, a constrained complex linkage having a plurality of movable links and at least one stationary link, at least a portion of said support being included in said constrained complex linkage as said stationary link, said movable links including a seat, a back-rest and a plurality of connecting links, said connecting links being connected to each other, to said seat and to said back-rest, means pivotally connecting said seat and said back-rest to said support, guiding means connected to said support and engaged with at least one of said connecting links, stopping means arranged on said support for limiting the sitting position of said seat, a leg-rest pivotally connected with the front portion of said seat, a controlling link pivoted to said support at one of its ends, and a guiding member, one end of said guiding member being pivoted to said seat, the other end of said guiding member being pivoted to an intermediate point of said controlling link, and the other end of said controlling link being in shiftable engagement with said leg-rest whereby movements of said leg-rest are controlled in dependence on movements of said seat.

10. A reclining article of furniture comprising: a support, a structure including a seat and a back-rest rigidly connected with each other, said structure being swingably mounted on said support, stopping means arranged on said support for limiting the sitting position of said structure, a leg-rest pivotally connected with the front portion of said seat, a controlling link pivoted to said support at one of its ends, a guiding member, one end of said guiding member being pivoted to said seat, the other end of said guiding member being pivoted to an intermediate point of said controlling link, and controlling means positioned between the other end of said controlling link and said leg-rest to effect movement of the leg-rest in coordination with said controlling link Whereby movements of said leg-rest are controlled in dependence on movements of said seat.

11. A reclining article of furniture comprising: a support, a structure including a seat and a back-rest rigidly connected with each other, said structure being swingably mounted on said support, stopping means arranged on said support for limiting the sitting position of said structure, a leg-rest pivotally connected with the front portion of said seat, a controlling link pivoted to said support at one of its ends, a guiding member, one end of said guiding member being Apivoted to said seat, the other end `of said guiding member being pivoted to an intermediate point of said controlling link, and a controlling member, one end of said controlling member being pivoted to the other end of said controlling link, and the other end of said controlling member being pivoted to said leg-rest.

ANTON LORENZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

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